Polishing composition



Jan. 25, 1966 KESSLER ET AL 3,231,397

POLISHING COMPUSITION Filed July 19, 1961 JNVENTORiI ADRIAAN KESSLER, BY GuY L. LAYNE AND CHARLES Q. SPEcTER,

ATTORNEYS.

United States Patent 3,231,397 POLISHING COMPOSITION v Adriaan Kessler, Guy L. Layne, and Charles R. Specter, Cincinnati, Ohio, assignors to The Procter -& Gamble Company, Cincinnati, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Filed July .19, 1961, Ser. No. 125,254 9 Claims. (Cl. 106-10) This invention relates to the application of thin films of waxes to solid surfaces, and more specifically, it relates to a special polishing composition.

It has for many years been known to apply thin films of protective substances to metals, painted surfaces, finished and unfinished woods, and leather goods to preserve them from the effects of ambient oxygen, water vapor, and dirt, and/or to improve their appearance. Thin films of wax are used today to achieve protection of these surfaces and to increase their aesthetic appeal by imparting more luster or gloss to them.

One of the popular uses for waxing compositions is in the care and preservation of footwear. Here, the wax serves to preserve and protect the leather from water and dust and at the same time to impart agloss to the leather.

There are a number of different types of polish compositions which are used to polish shoes and leather goods. These types are paste compositions, such as are widely sold in tins; cream types, which may be marketed in tubes; liquids, generally sold in bottles with some sort of an applicator or dauber attached to the cap which covers the open end of the bottle when it 'is not in use; and, the most recent development, the aerosol spray, which comprises a can which has been charged with a propellant and a lacquer-type material. Each of these varieties has its own advantages and disadvantages. The paste type is the least convenient of the group to apply because of its viscosity and the need to have some sort of a brush or cloth with which to .apply it. In theory, the aerosol product should be the easiest to use; however, its disadvantages of difi'iculty of obtaining an even application and the possibility, with a dyed or colored product, of staining hands, floors, and walls render it less attractive than it might otherwise be. The lacquer also tends to build up into a relatively thick layerand crack.

The liquid type would seem to be most convenient to apply, since it need only be spread over the surface, and an applicator is usually integral in the package. Some difiiculties still arise in the use of liquids, such as splashing of the liquid onto the surroundings when the dauber is rapidly Withdrawn from the bottle and the possibility of spilling the dyed contents of the bottle. The liquid polish requires a substantial amount of care to see that it is applied evenly to the surface of the shoe. Bufiing efiects only slight improvement in gloss, and the polish tends to build up and crack.

It is in the areas of gloss or duster of the polished shoe and evenness of application that paste wax finds its forte. While an application of paste wax leaves the surface of the footwear dull and lackluster, especially in relation to an otherwise untouched application of liquid wax, bufiing or brushing produces a fine glossy finish.

The liquid and cream waxes have another disadvantage for use in maintaining footwear. Both of these types of polishing compositions contain considerable quantities of water. Naturally, as these are applied to the surface of the leather the water tends to penetrate into the surface and displace some of the natural, protective oily substances from the leather. This has a'tendency to cause the leather to dry out andeventually to crack. Also, the attraction between the leather and the film applied from a water emulsion is not as great, with the result that a liquid polish is not as long-lasting as a paste polish.

The advantages of paste-type polishes are sopronounced that, over the years, many efforts have been made to improve the ease with which they may beapplied and buffed to a gloss. Such improvements have been made-the more necessary by the fact that almost all shoe polishes contain dyes or pigments which-serve to maintain the-original color of the footwear and to minimize scuff and abrasion marks which result from the shoes striking hard objects. When the composition is permitted to contact the users hands these'dyes will frequently produce a transitory stain which is difiicult immediately to remove. Also, there is the danger that these polishing materials will contact clothing, furnishings, and other surroundings. Such contact with these artifacts necessitates, .at the very least, a cleaning of the stained object. Itwill be found that in many cases the stain is irremovable, and the user must either reconcile himself to the stained object, or else discard it and obtain a replacement.

()neapproach to the problem of improving the ease of application of paste waxes has been the design of a container which affords increased convenience in handling the paste polishing composition. Such an expedient is illustrated by the Harris device shown in US. Patent Des. 189,266. This represents an attempt to furnish an applicator in the package with the product and to provide means for preventing'the applicator from drying out andforstorhigh when it is not in use.

Another approach to the problem has been to package conventional paste polishing compositions in a cylindrical container which contains an elevator actuated by a threaded member attached to the base in such amanner that when the base is rotated with respect to the container the elevator moves upwardly and forces the contents of the container out through a circular orifice at the top. Generally, said orifice is concentric with the'axis of the screw thread, elevator, and cylindrical body, and the material in the cylinder feeds from the body through the orifice onto an annular sponge at the top, said sponge being concentric with the orifice. Such an applicator provides a more convenient means .forapplying the polish composition to the surface of the shoe. The disadvantage of this type of an applicator when used with conventional paste polishing compositions is that it is not vapor tight (due to the necessity for relative motion between component parts), and therefore, the conventional polishing composition tends to dry out during a relatively short period of time. Such drying can, to a large extent, be prevented before the device is placed in use by appropriate ancillary protection. However, such ancillary protection must be removed when the device is placed in use and the paste polishing composition then tends to dry out rapidly.

When evaporation of the solvent takes place, the composition becomes diflicult-and eventually impossible-to force from the container. Also, local drying of the material on the sponge will introduce hard particles of dried polish on the surfaces of the footwear, especially 'if the device is allowed to set for a period of time between uses. Such hard specks are annoying, inconvenient to remove,

and frequently drop off onto the floor or surrounding furnishings later'to be smeared over the surface from whence it will be difficult, if not impossible, to remove. The foregoing disadvantages of the device in question become apparent much more rapidly when a user neglects to replace the cap or to affix it firmly.

It is an object of the instant invention to provide a paste polishing composition which can be stored for long periods of time and yet have satisfactory drying and polishing characteristics when applied to the surface to be polished.

It is another object of this invention to provide a paste polishing composition which gives high gloss, increased leather life, and water resistance.

Other and further objects of this invention will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art after they have read and become familiar with the following description.

This invention involves a paste polish composition with excellent vehicle detention properties. The paste polishing composition is essentially a homogeneous paste which consists of a minor proportion of a wax component and a major portion of a vehicle adapted to allow the wax component to be uniformly spread over the surface to be polished. The wax component may contain any waxes which impart the desired luster to the polished surfaces, but at least about six percent, and preferably at least about ten percent, of the wax component must be composed of parafin waxes so that the volatile vehicle is not rapidly lost through evaporation. The vehicles are selected from certain monohydric alcohols and glycol-ethers, all these being generally of low molecular Weight.

An applicator device particularly suited for use with the above-described polishing composition is shown in FIGURE 1, which figure is a section through the center of the elevational view of the generally cylindrical dispenser.

FIGURE 2 is a cross-sectional view taken at line 22 of FIGURE 1.

While it has been found that conventional paste waxes which are formulated with vehicles such as Stoddard solvent and turpentine evaporate to the point where they become unusable after about seven days of storage at 120 F. in dispensers of the type shown in FIGURES 1 and 2, lower aliphatic alcohols and lower glycol-ethers with much lower boiling points and higher evaporation rates than those of the conventional solvents heretofore mentioned can be kept for periods at least about five times as great at the same temperature before they lose the properties desired in a paste polishing composition. It has been found that the addition of at least small quantities of paraflin waxes enables one to achieve such long-term storage stability with the lower molecular weight hydroxy aliphatic compounds hereinabove mentioned.

The wax component of the polishing composition must contain sufiicient paraffin wax so that the total paraflin wax content of the wax component is at least about 6 percent by weight, and preferably at least about 10 percent by weight. As used herein, the term paraflin wax is used to mean the white, translucent, waxy, tasteless, odorless solid composed of a mixture of solid hydrocarbons chiefly of the series homologous with methane, said hydrocarbons being derived from petroleum. The term is exclusive of microcrystalline, or amorphous, waxes, such as ozocerite, and waxes obtained from lignites, such as montan wax.

The melting point of the paraflin wax should lie in the temperature range of from about 120 to about 150 F. In general, it is preferred to use a paraffin wax with a melting point toward the high end of the temperature range, although excellent pastes have been made with relatively low-melting paraffin waxes. The best results are obtained when a paraffin wax with a melting point in the range of 145 -15() F. is used and which does not 4 change phase as it is gradually heated from room temperature up to the point where it begins to liquefy.

The upper limit on the amount of paraffin wax which may be present is not more than about percent by weight of the wax component, and insufiicient to affect adversely the lustering properties of the finished composition. By itself, paraflin wax does not give much luster to surfaces to which it is applied. For this reason it has been found that the wax portion of the compositions of this invention should contain at least about 25% by weight of non-paraffin Waxes, as hereinafter disclosed.

The non-paraflin waxes used in the practice of this invention can be any hard waxes which can be bufiFed to and Will retain a high gloss or luster. The hard Waxes suited for use in the instant invention have a Shore durometer hardness of from about 94 to and preferably in the range of from about 97 to 100. Those unfamiliar with the measurement of wax hardnesses will find a description of the durometer test in Warth, The Chemistry and Technology of Waxes, 611 et seq. Such waxes will generally have melting points in excess of F. Examples of waxes successfully used in conjunction with the required amount of paraffin wax include carnauba, ouricury, montan, Gersthofen OP oxidized montan wax, and Duroxan I-324 saponifiable Fischer-Tropsch waxes.

Carn auba has been found to be excellent by itself as the non-paraflin component of the minor wax portion. It can also be blended with other hard waxes. Those skilled in the art will select formulations which give the desired physical properties to the wax coating. Among the properties to be considered are luster, water resistance, water repellency, freedom from water spotting, durability, effort required to obtain the luster, physical appearance of the finished paste composition, scuff resistance, and handling during the packaging operations. Economic and availability considerations also play a part in determining the types and quantities or non-panafiin wax components.

The non-parafiin waxes must be present in an amount to constitute at least about 25 percent by weight of the wax portion of the composition of this invention. However, if they comprise more than about 94 percent by weight of the wax portion, there will be insufficient paraffin wax present to assure adequate vehicle detention. Preferably, the hard Waxes should not exceed 90 percent by weight of the wax portion.

The vehicles adapted for use in the practice of this invention generally include organic compounds containing the lower aliphatic monohydroxy group. Compounds contemplated for use as vehicles in the practice of this invention includebut are not limited toethanol, normal propanol, isopropanol, ethoxyethanol, and the monoethyl ether of diethylene glycol. While it is possible to add small quantities of hydrocarbon solvents such as Stoddard solvent or turpentine, the best results are obtained when the vehicle is substantially free of such hydrocarbon solvents. Such hydrocarbon solvents should not be present in an amount greater than about 4% of the Weight of the vehicle. It has also been found that quantities of water up to about 4 percent or 5 percent of the weight of the vehicle can be tolerated. However, the performance deteriorates as water is added and the stability is adversely affected, so that it is preferable to use an essentially water-free vehicle.

'In the general practice of this invention, monohydric alcohols containing from 2 to 4 carbon atoms and glycolethers containing from 3 to 6 carbon atoms may be used as vehicles. The term glycol-ethers is used to refer to substances which contain a free hydroxy group and at least one ether linkage. Examples of these are methoxyethanol, butoxyethanol, and 1-ethoxy-2-(2-hydroxyethoxy) ethane. Substances of this class are sold under the trademarks Cellosolve and Carbitol.

Large quantities of the less volatile of the glycol-others will cause the polish to dry slowly after it has been ap plied to the surface of the shoe. This condition becomes apparent when a polishing cloth is used to buff the paste after its application to the shoe. Lint from the butting cloth may adhere to the waxed surface of the shoe and is not removed easily by further bufiing. When a brush is used to butf the shoe, the use of large quantities of low volatility glycol-ethers presents no problems. Even this minor problem may be eliminated -by limiting the quantity of those glycol-ethers which have comparatively low volatility to about by Weight of the vehicle portion of the compositions.

While monohydn'c alcohols containing from 2 to 4 carbon atoms in the molecule can be successfully utilized in the vehicle, it is preferred to utilize the monohydric alcohols containing 2 or 3 carbon atoms. This preference results not from polishing characteristics or stability requirements, but rather from odor considerations. As the chain length is increased to 4 carbon atoms, the odor becomes increasingly less pleasing to the majority of the population.

The vehicle should comprise the major portion of these paste polish compositions and the wax component should comprise only the minor portion. If too great an amount of the wax is used, the composition becomes so stiff that it is very inconvenient-4f not impossibleproperly to apply to the surface to be polished. The use of excessive vehicle will be quite apparent because a homogeneous paste will not be formed. It has been found that compositions for use with the hereinafter-described applicator can be made with from about 10% to about by weight of the wax component. Below 10% wax, one enters an area where the paste becomes too fluid for use in a dispenser, especially at elevated temperatures; above 30% the compositions are too stiff and require excessive force to extrude them onto the spongy member. The composition may be varied somewhat more Widely if other containers are to be used, more vehicle being permissible if the compositions are to be kept in a tube and less if a conventional tin is the container.

The polish compositions may either be neutral (containing no dye or other coloring agent), in which case they consist of a mixture of paraflin wax, non-parafiin wax, and vehicle, or they may be suitably colored by adding dyes and/or pigments to the neutral formulation.

The compositions may also contain other substances in small quantities to improve the product or to add some special property. For instance, the vehicles used are relatively more odorless than the conventional hydrocarbon solvents so that a perfume may be added to good etfect. The perfume may be a floral or other scent to impart a pleasant aroma, or it may be selected to impart a leathergoods type of aroma or the aroma of a conventional paste shoe polish composition to the compositions of this invention. Other substances known in the art which may be added are various silicones to improve the ease of application and water repellency, or lanolin or other fatty material to nourish the leather.

Preparation of these compositions can be accomplished as will now be described. The wax component is melted. The vehicle is heated in a vessel suitable for mixing the ingredients. The molten waxes are added to the heated vehicle in the mixing vessel. Any other ingredients, such as dyes, are then added to the mixing vessel. The ingredients are then blended until a homogeneous mixture is obtained. The mixing may be done with any type of liquid-mixing equipment, but the process is hastened if a high-intensity high-shear mixer is used. For example, suitable mixers are disclosed at page 1121 in Perrys Chemical Engineers Handbook. It is important that the waxes and other components be thoroughly dispersed in the vehicle so that the finished composition is homogeneous. When the ingredients have been homogeneously dispersed, the mixture is cooled to a lower temperature and poured into suitable containers.

Naturally, it is possible to combine the waxes and vehicle and to heat them up simultaneously. It is also possible to add some or all of the non-wax ingredients to the vehicle before the waxes are added or to add the wax and non-waxes simultaneously or to pre-rnix them before they are added to the vehicle. In short, the mixing operation is not critical, but it will be accomplished with greater facility if the mutual solubilities and properties of the various components are taken into consideration. The advantage of the preferred method of melting the wax and adding it to the heated vehicle is that this is more easily adapted to high-volume production. The wax can be melted and immediately available for weighing and introduction into each batch of vehicle in the mix tank. If desired, the vehicle and wax can be heated under greaterthan-atmospheric pressure in an appropriate vessel. This permits one to obtain higher temperatures with a given vehicle and may aid in homogeneously blending the wax, vehicle, and other desired minor components.

After the ingredients have been thoroughly mixed, the mixture should be cooled to a temperature of, say, 130- 140 F. just before it is placed in the containers in which it will be marketed.

The rate and amount of cooling are controlled by means known to those skilled in the art so that a homogenous paste is obtained. Each combination of waxes and vehicles will require somewhat different temperatures because of the ditferences in heat capacities, melting and boiling points and so on. The following examples will serve to illustrate the practice of this invention.

EXAMPLE I A large batch of wax Was prepared by admixing 5 parts by weight of carnauba Wax, 4 parts of weight of 128-130 F. paraffin with an actual melting point of 128.8 F and one part by weight of ouricury. The mixture was prepared by melting the requisite weights of wax together and stirring until the mixture was homogenous. The batch was then cooled and held for later use.

Seventeen grams of the Wax mixture was melted in a beaker. One hundred grams of ethanol was heated EXAMPLE II A paste polishing composition was prepared as in Example I with a normal propanol vehicle in lieu of ethanol.

EXAMPLE III A paste polishing composition was prepared as in Example I with an isopropanol vehicle in lieu of ethanol.

EXAMPLE IV A paste polishing composition was prepared as in Example I with an ethoxyethanol vehicle.

Each of the compositions prepared in the above Ex-E amples I to IV gave excellent results in polishing shoes. A high luster was obtained when the shoes were buffed with a cloth.

To illustrate the superior vehicle detention capabilities of the compositions of this invention, 12 grams of each of the forgoing compositions was placed in a 2 /2 inch diameter container and exposed to temperatures of or F. for one Week. Simultaneously, two commercial polishes were placed in the same environment to furnish a standard. The results are shown in Table I.

Based on the volatility of butyl acetatc=l00. Data from 12 Kirk- Othmer Encyclopeida of Chemical Technology 680.

2 The volatility of Stoddard solvent is about to and that of turpentine, 45.

3 Not run.

Despite the higher volatility of the vehicles of this inyention, in every case the loss of vehicle is surprisingly lower than that of the hydrocarbon vehicles normally used in the art.

EXAMPLE V Eight parts of carnauba wax and eight parts of 145 F. melting point paratfin wax were melted in a glass beaker. Seventy-nine parts of n-propanol was heated to a temperature of 190 F. in an open vessel. The melted waxes were added to the heated vehicle and mixed by means of a propeller connected to a shaft which entered the top of the vessel. Two parts of silicone fluid, one part of perfume, and two parts of brown dye were added and these ingredients were then mixed for 15 minutes to obtain good dispersion and a homogeneous mixture. The two parts of brown dye were prepared by admixing 0.5 part D&C Brown #1, 0.975 part Sudan Yellow RRA, 0.075 part Oil Black PDR, and 0.450 part Sudan Dark Brown BS. The composition was then passed through a coil where the temperature was lowered to about 135 F. and filled into containers. This composition was found to have excellent polishing characteristics and a low vehicle loss upon storage.

EXAMPLE VI Eight parts of carnauba wax and eight parts of 128.8 F. melting point paraffin wax were melted in a kettle equipped with a motor-driven propeller, reflux condenser, and thermometer. Sixty-three parts of ethanol (Specially Denatured Alcohol Formula 40) and 21 parts of l-ethoxy- 2-(2-hydroxyethoxy-1) ethane sold under the trademark ethyl Carbitol were heated in separate vessels to 170 F. One part of black dye, comprising 0.91 part Oil Black 47535 and 0.09 part Azeosol Yellow RCA new, was added to be melted waxes. The l-ethoxy-2-(2-hydroxyethoxy-l) ethane was then added and the mixer was started. The 63 parts of heated ethanol was then added slowly through the refluxed condenser and the mixture was gently refluxed for about 15 minutes. The mixture was adjusted to the correctpouring temperature (about 135 F.) and filled intothe containers. A very'satisfactory shoe polish was obtained with excellent storage qualities.

Methoxyethanol or 1-methoxy-2-(2-hydroxyethoxy-1) ethane can be substituted for the 1-ethoxy-2-(2-hydroxyethoxy-l) ethane and part or all of the carnauba wax can be replaced by ouricury, montan wax, oxidized montan wax, or saponifiable Fischer-Tropsch wax with equal results.

While the compositions of this invention may be packaged in tins of the type normally used for paste polishing compositions or in any other container suitable for dispensing a paste composition, they are uniquely suited for use in cooperation with the dispenser to be described. Essentially, this dispenser comprises a container for the paste composition; a spongy member with which the paste composition is applied to the surface to be polished; means 8 to force the paste, through a suitable aperture or apertures, from said container onto said spongy member; and a covering member to retard drying of the paste on the spongy member when the applicator and paste composition combination is not in use.

The polishing compositions of this invention are uniquely suited to application with the above-described dispenser because of their novel coaction with the spongy member. This effect is evidenced by the combinations ability to retain outstanding ease of application over protracted periods of storage. While the reason for this inter-' action is not completely certain, it appears that the com.

position may be thixotropic so that a small amount of mechanical working makes it readily fiowable. In the readily flowable condition it dispenses readily onto the sponge and is easily applied to the surface to be polished. When not in use, it remains in the sponge and holds its form. Pressing the spongy member onto the surface to be polished performs mechanical work on the composition which is present in said member, converts it into a flowable form, and permits the deposition of a thin, spreadable layer of wax onto the surface of the shoe. The excellent vehicle detention maintains the combination ready for immediate use after a period of storage, so that the composition again drops in viscosity when force is applied and is readily spread on the surface to be polished.

The means to force paste composition onto the spongy member comprise a cylinder closed at one end by a mov-' able piston, or elevator. The elevator is driven longitudinally through the cylinder by means of a threaded rod which is actuated by turning a base to which said thread is afiixed. Such longitudinal movement of the elevator forces the composition onto the aforesaid spongy member. The threaded rod is rotatably held in the cylinder by a suitable bearing.

A description of a specific embodiment follows so that the principles of construction and operation will become familiar to those skilled in the art.

Referring to FIGURE 1, the applicator device consists of a body 11 into which a threaded rod and base unit 12 is inserted. A cap 13 is affixed to crown 14 to prevent loss of vehicle from the composition and to protect spongy member 15. Spongy member 15 is supported at the open end of the cylinder 11 by crown 14. Crown 14 may be secured to cylinder 11 by a press fit, or an adhesive may be used. The adhesive is preferable because there is a considerable amount of force on the crown 14 during use of the dispenser-paste wax combination.

The spongy member rests on plate 16 of crown 14 and is properly positioned with respect to crown 14 and cylinder 11 by a shoulder 17. The spongy member shown in this embodiment is a truncated right circular cylinder coaxial with crown 14 and cylinder 11. Said spongy member 15 may assume other forms, e.g., a cylindrical annulus, but the truncated form shown is advantageous in applying the composition to relatively inaccessible parts, such as the juncture of the vamp and insole. Plate 16 has a single circular aperture coaxial with crown 14, which aperture is in register with the cylindrical passage through spongy member 15. The paste composition in cylindrical body 11 is forced upwardly through the aperture in plate 16 and the channel in spongy member 15 until it rises to a point just below the top surface of said spongy member. Spongy member 15 is held in place on plate 16 by means of an adhesive. Polystyrene dissolved in tetrahydrofuran has been used to good advantage when the plate 16 is constructed of polystyrene.

It is preferred that the spongy member be made of a material which is of the open-celled type, that is, one in which at least a very large proportion of the cells intercommunicate with the cells contiguous with them. The spongy member may be made from any suitable material which is not attacked by the waxes or the vehicle. One

foam.

The covering member for the combination is cap 13 in this embodiment. It is screwed onto threads in crown 14 and serves to diminsh loss of vehicle from the composition. It also protects the spongy member from ambient dust and moisture and protects the surroundings from being stained through contact with the dyed or pigmented paste composition. While in the embodiment herein shown the cap is retained on the crown 14 by screw threads, other suitable means, such as a bayonet lock or press fit may be used to afiix the cap to the top of the dispenser.

The means by Which the paste composition is forced up through the sponge will now be detailed. A circular elevator 19 is moved upwardly by rotation of a threaded rod 20. Torque is applied to the rod by twisting the base 21 relative to cylinder 11.

In the embodiment shown, elevator 19 carries a circumferential ridge 22 for the purpose of minimizing, and preferably entirely eliminating, the escape of polish composition into the volume beneath said elevator. The elevator 19 is carried on threaded rod 20 by means of a threaded sleeve 23. Threaded sleeve 23 is stiffened by six webs 24 spaced equally around the circumference of elevator 19.

In order that elevator 19 move longitudinally in cylinder 11, it is essential that said elevator be constrained from rotating relative to said cylinder in unison with threaded rod 20. In the embodiment disclosed, such relative rotation is prevented by means of chordate lands 25. These lands 25 are also shown in FIGURE 2. Other methods, such as lands which are semicircular in cross-section combined with grooves cut into the circumference of elevator 19, can also be used, but the chordate lands 25 are preferred because they permit of a tighter seal between the elevator 19 and the inside wall of cylinder 11.

The base member 20 is so designed that when the dispenser is not in use it may rest upright on said base. While such a feature is not essential to the functioning of the applicator device during its use, it is a convenience for the user and also enables the dispenser to be marketed from store shelves and displays.

The threaded rod and base member 12 is rotatably held coaxially inside cylinder 11 by collar 26 riding on the inside of aperture 27. The construction shown permits threaded rod 20 to be inserted through aperture 27 and moved upwardly inside cylinder 11 until collar 26 has moved into a position where it engages the upper side of aperture 27. The rod 20 is threaded only down to collar 26, the unthreaded portion below the shoulder acting as a journal in the bearing formed by aperture 27.

Aperture 27 must be designed so that it is sufliciently elastically deformable to permit insertion of rod 20 and collar 26. FIGURE 2 has a view of aperture 27 which shows one structure which accomplishes this result. Other methods, such as cutting radial slots into the circumference of a coaxial circular aperture, may also be used.

The material of construction of the dispenser may be any material which is not significantly adversely affected by the vehicle or other components of the composition. A metal, such as aluminum, may be used for the cap, crown, cylinder, and base and screw, and rubber may be used for the elevator. The lack of a hydrocarbon solvent makes it possible to construct the dispenser entirely of a plastic such as polystyrene, with a polyethylene elevator. A plastic dispenser is light, easy to mold into decorative shapes, and may have the desired color molded directly into it.

The invention having been described in detail with preferred embodiments, what is claimed is:

1. A homogeneous paste shoe polishing composition consisting essentially of from about to about 30 percent by weight of a wax component which consists essentially of from about 6 to about 75 percent by weight of paraflin wax and from about 25 to about 94 percent by weight of hard wax with a Shore durometer hardness of from about 94 to about 100 and a melting point in excess of about 155 F., and from about 70 to about percent by weight of at least one vehicle selected from the group consisting of monohydric alcohols containing from 2 to 4 carbon atoms in the molecule and glycolethers containing from 3 to 6 carbon atoms in the molecule, said polishing composition being substantially free of any hydrocarbon vehicle and of water.

2. A homogeneous paste shoe polishing composition consisting essentially of from about 10 to about 30 percent by weight of a wax component which consists essentially of from about 10 to about 75 percent by weight of paraffin wax and from about 25 to about 90 percent by weight of hard wax with a Shore durometer hardness of from about 94 to about and a melting point in excess of about F., and from about 70 to about 90 percent by weight of a vehicle selected from the group consisting of monohydric alcohols containing from 2 to 4 carbon atoms in the molecule and glycolethers containing from 3 to 6 carbon atoms in the molecule, said polishing composition being substantially free of any hydrocarbon solvent and of water.

3. A homogeneous paste shoe polishing composition consisting essentially of from about 10 to about 30 percent by weight of a wax component which consists essentially of from about 10 to about 75 percent by weight of parafiin wax and from about 25 to about 90 percent by weight of hard wax with a Shore durometer hardness of from about 94 to about 100 and a melting point in excess of about 155 F., and from about 70 to about 90 percent of a vehicle which consists of a vehicle consisting essentially of at least 75 percent by weight of at least one alcohol selected from the group consisting of alcohols containing from 2 to 4 carbon atoms in the molecule and the remainder of said vehicle consisting essentially of at least one glycol-ether selected from the group consisting of glycol-ethers containing from 3 to 6 carbon atoms in the molecule, said polishing composition being substantially free of any hydrocarbon solvent and of water.

4. The composition of claim 3 wherein the hard wax is at least one member chosen from the group consisting of carnauba wax, ouricury wax, montan wax, oxidized montan wax, and saponifiable Fischer-Tropsch waxes, each of said members to have a melting point of at least 155 F. and a Shore durometer hardness of from about 94 to 100.

5. A homogeneous paste shoe polishing composition consisting essentially of from about 6 to about 12 percent by weight of paraffin wax, from about 6 to about 12 percent by weight of carnauba wax, and from about 76 to about 88 percent by weight of a vehicle selected from the group consisting of monohydric alcohols containing from 2 to 4 carbon atoms in the molecule, said polishing composition being substantially free of any hydrocarbon solvent and of water.

6. The composition of claim 5 in which the alcohol is ethanol.

7. The composition of claim 5 wherein the alcohol is n-propanol.

8. The composition of claim 5 wherein the alcohol is isopropanol.

9. The composition of claim 3 wherein the alcohol is ethanol and the glycol-ether is l-ethoxy 2-(2-hydroxyethoxy-l) ethane.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,409,683 10/1946 Howk et al 106-10 2,728,679 12/1955 Wright 10610 ALEXANDER H. BRODMERKEL, Primary Examiner. JOSEPH REBOLD, Examiner. 

1.A HOMOGENEOUS PASTE SHOE POLISHING COMPOSITION CONSISTING ESSENTIALLY OF FROM ABOUT 10 TO ABOUT 30 PERCENT BY WEIGHT OF A WAX COMPONENT WHICH CONSISTS ESSENTIALLY OF FROM ABOUT 6 TO ABOUT 75 PERCENT BY WEIGHT OF PARAFFIN WAX AND FROM ABOUT 25 TO ABOUT 94 PERCENT BY WEIGHT OF HARD WAX WITH A SHORE DUROMETER HARDNESS OF FROM ABOUT 94 TO ABOUT 100 AND A MELTING POINT IN EXCESS OF ABOUT 155*F., AND FROM ABOUT 70 TO ABOUT 90 PERCENT BY WEIGHT OF AT LEAST ONE VEHICLE SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF MONOHYDRIC ALCOHOLS CONTAINING FROM 2 TO 4 CARBON ATOMS IN THE MOLECULE AND GLYCOLETHERS CONTAINING FROM 3 TO 6 CARBON ATOMS IN THE MOLECULE, SAID POLISHING COMPOSITION BEING SUBSTANTIALLY FREE OF ANY HYDROCARBON VEHICLE AND OF WATER.
 3. A HOMOGENEOUS PASTE SHOE POLISHING COMPOSITION CONSISTING ESSENTIALLY OF FROM ABOUT 10 TO ABOUT 30 PERCENT BY WEIGHT OF A WAX COMPONENT WHICH CONSISTS ESSENTIALLY OF FROM ABOUT 10 TO ABOUT 75 PERCENT BY WEIGHT OF PARAFFIN WAX AND FROM ABOUT 25 TO ABOUT 90 PERCENT BY WEIGHT OF HARD WAX WITH A SHORE DUROMETER HARDNESS OF FROM ABOUT 94 TO ABOUT 100 AND A MELTING POINT IN EXCESS OF ABOUT 155*F., AND FROM ABOUT 70 TO ABOUT 90 PERCENT OF A VEHICLE WHICH CONSISTS OF A VEHICLE CONSISTING ESSENTIALLY OF AT LEAST 75 PERCENT BY WEIGHT OF AT LEAST ONE ALCOHOL SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF ALCOHOLS CONTAINING FROM 2 TO 4 CARBON ATOMS IN THE MOLECULE AND THE REMAINDER OF SAID VEHICLE CONSISTING ESSENTIALLY OF AT LEAST ONE GLYCOL-ETHER SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF GLYCOL-ETHERS CONTAINING FROM 3 TO 6 CARBON ATOMS IN THE MOLECULE, SAID POLISHING COMPOSITION BEING SUBSTANTIALLY FREE OF ANY HYDROCARBON SOLVENT AND OF WATER. 